Refresh my memory.. Campaign alliances

[Makta]

Usually when i used to play single player i tried to do all the quest that weren't repeatable not minding about most alliances besides the 3-4 factions i liked to play. Now i'm curious if there might be something besides a random retinue unit and maybe gold for exp if you are allied with the other teams.

For example i don't think i ever been allied with swarm/minotaur/plague or Srathi.

[Ruzdreg]

You can ally with Swarm and Plague by choice after saving them from Gorgon's attack (Seige of Famine / Seige of Plague). After completing those missions, you get an option to approach Melkor / Antharg and make an alliance. However, doing so displeases another race and can break an alliance with those races. (Swarm > Barbarian / Plague > Dwarves).

You can ally with Ssrathi by simply choosing to help them instead of the Empire in the missions down south in the jungle island. You can still ally with the Empire later with no penalty to your Ssrathi alliance, so it's almost always the better option to ally with Ssrathi here (it also prevents those annoying ambushes!)

For Minotaurs, I'm sure completing the Hand of Sartek side quest gets you the Minotaur alliance. (I almost always play as Minotaurs through the campaign so, of course, always have them on my side)


As for the rewards for making alliances (other than being able to play as them in the campaign) you can get rare (even artifact) items, access to special replayable missions that award large XP bonuses and, as you said, access to recruiting generals from those sides at high levels. I.E: Choosing to help the Orc in Kor against the Dwarves gets you the Royal Runemail item - something exclusive to Runemasters (and that 1 Shrine quests where you have to slay 5 Liches)

[Makta]

Hmm i don't remeber getting any special items from the ones i currently got. But on the other hand i don't think i ever sided with the orc's for example.

[KenshiB777]

but is there any way to ally with the Orcs? Their heroes suck, but some of their recruited units are awesome at high levels